Don’t know how to justify your excessive use of animations, clever copy, or generic cute illustrations? Just throw the word “delight” in the mix! Talk about how you understand the user’s psychology–how you’re creating an experience people will love. Who cares if your solution is not functional, expensive to build, or if there’s no data to back up your intuition. Remind everyone that you’re building a lasting and emotional connection with the user.

hile there might not be obvious similarities between a Silicon Valley start-up and a public college in Rhode Island, taking a page from the tech- industry playbook may be the key to the future of higher education.